Dear Agony
by Boulder the Dragon
Summary: A new evil litters and plagues the citizens in Happy Tree Town, but after a certain war veteran and super hero fall for the same girl who's been abducted, an epic search for the damned and lost ensues. Chp. 6, finally up.
1. A Hero in the Mist

**Greetings folks. I got inspiration to write a new story, based off of Splendid and later, Flippy.**

**I have a few reasons why I decided to write this story. 1) Inspiration is inspiration. When I got the idea for the story, keeping it in my mind was no good, so I wrote it down. 2) There are hardly any fanfics involving our flying friend Splendid. The guy deserves a little more recognition. 3) I thought to myself while listening to Kryptonite by 3 Doors Down, what would happen if Flippy and Splendid fell for the same person? Some damn interesting fight sequences, that's what. I know a lot of people will wonder how our war vet could fight a super hero. That, however, will be explained in later chapters.**

I**f I get a good number of reviews or story ideas, I might continue it. Anyways, here's chapter one.**

**Cheers.**

* * *

**_Dear Agony_**

**_Chapter One: A Hero in the Mist_**

The doors to the bank burst open as the two thieves made a hasty retreat. With pounds and pounds of money in there greedy little hands, they were snickering and cheering as they made their way to the abandoned trailer park at the edge of town. Safe in their deserted hideout, they put the bags of loot down and opened it up.

The amount of money in the bags were staggering, making the mouth of the first thief water. The second stared in awe, water coming to his eyes instead.

"Congratulations bro, we're officially filthy stinkin' rich!" The fedora wearing raccoon chuckled to his younger brother.

The hat less brother threw his head back and howled. "Ooooh baby! We are swingin' it now! Can you imagine what we could do with all this money? Anything! We can do ANYTHING!" he yelled in eager happiness and smug joy.

The older raccoon put his hands behind his head, staring at the jackpot of cash before him. "You got that right. So, what do you want to do with it first, buy jewelery? Buy a house? Buy the whole damn city?"

His brother snickered, leaning against a large abandoned wooden boat. "Frickin' awesome bro! That was our best heist in ages! Did you see how that cashier newly peed herself when I mentioned a shotgun?"

The older raccoon laughed. "Yeah, yet there wasn't a shotgun for miles! It gets TOO easy these days! Ooh, ooh, remember when that old man fell to his knees, begging to be spared because I said I had a stupid crossbow?"

The younger brother chuckled. "Who even uses those things anymore?" he ended his sentence with a hearty laugh.

For a minute, the two sat there, glancing at the money with devious intent. Finally, the older raccoon turned to his brother. "Why do you think it was so damn easy?" he asked, sitting up lazily.

Before the other thief could respond with a cocky reply, a knock was heard at the park entrance door, which the brothers had locked to keep out unwanted attention or intruders.

"Did you order pizza?" The hatted raccoon asked.

"Nope, but we should, we have enough cash for the entire pizza place. Go check who it is." his brother ordered.

Reluctantly, the eldest sibling stood up and walked to the door, a knife in his hands for aprehending the trespasser. Now at the large, dirt-stained door, the dark colored animal opened the door a crack. "Whoooo's there?" he asked in mock excitement and curiosity. No answer. In fact, he couldn't even see anyone out there. Feeling bold, he kicked the door open and readied his weapon.

Nothing. No one stood at the entrance. Confused, the raccoon turned around and began to head back into the house. "Don't worry, there's no one out ther-"

"That's quite a big stack of money you and Lifty stole today, isn't it?" a voice asked, cutting Shifty off mid-sentence.

Quickly remembering who the voice belonged to, he slowly turned around, shaking where he stood. Still no one at the door. Suddenly, realization hit him, and he looked up.

There floated Splendid, the red-bandanna clad hero. He had his arms crossed and a "tsk, tsk" look on his face.

Shifty slammed the door on the hero. "Oh crap! Lifty, run away! Abort mission, evasive maneuvers! Abort, abort!" he screamed, rushing to his little brother while grabbing the bags of money to go.

The flying squirrel forcefully kicked the door with seemingly no effort. The hinges flew off, and the iron door soared across the room with shocking speed. Lifty looked up, his eyes practically bulging out of his head at the sight of his long-time enemy. "Son of a-" he cursed, stopping mid-sentence to turn and flee.

Splendid smirked. He looked at the escaping brothers, readied himself, and sped after them, flinging across the sky too fast to be seen. Lifty turned his head around, screeching as he saw the squirrel fly at him at breakneck speeds. He quickly ducked, letting the blue hero soar over him, as he was moving too fast to slow down. Splendid realized the thief's movement a little late, slamming into a large metal wall, leaving a serious dent in it. He swiftly spun around, performing an impressive flip in the air to land nimbly on his feet.

"Show off." Shifty sneered from across the room.

Splendid intimidatingly walked up to Lifty, who was backed up in the corner of the park. His breathing became labored, as he became aware of the pain soon to be inflicted on him. "Please!" he begged, clearly trying to get out of the merciless beating and nothing more. "I swear I won't rob anything ever again! I'll turn over a new leaf! Honest!"

The hero looked upon the raccoon, who by now had his hands clasped together in front of him and his face to the floor. "Well, this is new," Splendid said. "showing remorse Lifty? If you played nice, I wouldn't have to maul you or your brother so much." he finished with a smirk.

Lifty kept his face to the floor, a smirk spreading across his own mouth. He noticed out of the corner of his eye that Shifty had picked up a large boulder, and was slowly approaching the hero from behind. "Really though!" he egged on. "I will! No more stealing for me, no sir! I'll even tell Shifty!"

Splendid frowned. "Shifty...where'd he go anyway?"

Before he could turn around, Shifty chucked the boulder at Splendid's head. A flash of blue light shined, and the hero was missing, leaving the large rock to smash into the ground. The fedora clad raccoon looked around, clearly not expecting this. "Hey, where'd the blue-furred punk go?" he asked.

Lifty looked up and unclasped his hands. "You mean, he left?"

"No, no!" Shifty said. "He never just _leaves_, he must have gone somewhere..."

"Pick-a-boo!" Splendid called, floating above the two. In his arms was a boulder twice the size of Shifty's, only he was carrying it without breaking a sweat.

The two raccoon's jaws fell open. They both looked at each other with a look of pure shock, and squeezed their eyes shut for the pain.

* * *

Lifty slowly opened his eyes, rubbing them with his hands to clear dust from the boulder out. He was on the floor, aching in undeniable hurt. He slowly stood up, pieces of loose rubble falling off his back. He groaned, then called out, "Shifty? Where are you ya loser? You forgot to frickin' remind me about that damn guy!"

"Well excuse me for forgetting!" Shifty replied, already off the ground. "I got too caught up in the heist to remember!...Ack!" he screamed. "The cash! Did he take it back?"

Lifty jumped up. "Oh crap, you're right! He might've forgotten to take back the loot!"

The two searched high and low for the large sums of money. "It's a brown bag with a dollar sign on it." Shifty reminded.

"I know what it looks like fur-for-brains!" Lifty sneered.

"What'd you call me?"

"Fur. For. Brains."

"Why you little-"

"Are you calling me short?"

"We're the same damn size!"

"That's not the point!"

"Then what is the point!?"

"I don't know!"

The two raccoons argued with each other for many more minutes, still searching for the clearly absent bag of cash.

* * *

Having already made his way to the robbed bank, Splendid returned the bag of money to the cashier lady. "Oh, thank you!" she said. "Thank you so much!"

The blue hero smiled warmly. "Madam, no thanks are necessary. I'm just terribly sorry that those two rotten citizens would steal money from actual hard-working folk."

She smiled back at him, taking the money and handing it to another employee. "It's okay I guess. It's just that it's my first day on the job. It was kinda scary."

Splendid extended his hand. "Ah, a newly recruited worker! Way to show society who's boss!"

She giggled and shook his hand. "If you say so. How'd you get to be so noble?"

The hero simply smiled and did a heroic pose. "Ma'am, I strive to serve the community and to protect all innocent civilians from harm. That, is my purpose in life."

The blonde haired cashier stared at the squirrel in awe, admiring his stance and looks. "W-well, consider me a fan." she chuckled nervously.

Splendid began to float into the air. "Thank you my fare lady, but I must depart. Stay safe, and know that I'll always be listening to your calls for help." he said. He waved goodbye, and soared off toward his home, leaving a trail of blue light behind him.

The woman watched him fly away, sighing romantically. _Should've asked for his number_ She thought.

Soaring across the city, Splendid made his way to his cozy acorn shaped home. Once he arrived at his wooden door, he opened it, took his bandana off, tossed it to the side, and hopped onto his bed. At ease and relaxed, he flicked on the TV and kicked his feet up. The great part about having a secret home is the large amount of privacy. He sighed in relaxation, and absently surfed through the channels.

Watching mind numbing television for a few good hours, the hero yawned, getting sleepy. _It was a pretty good day of heroing._ he playfully said to himself, using the term 'heroing' that the media had called his good deeds. _Just wish I could retire_ he looked out the window. _But I could never leave this place!_ he continued to think to himself. _Hell, I can't even sleep knowing there's a person in need of help._

He sighed, going back to his bed. "Guess it comes from being born Superman-like powers." he kept thinking.

He put his thoughts aside him and lay down. He dimmed the lights, turned off the TV via remote, and closed his eyes for some much needed sleep.

"Help! HEEEELP!!"

He sprung out of bed, hearing the cry for help all the way from his home. He sighed and turned the lights back on. "Help first, sleep later." he reminded himself. He donned his red bandanna and took off toward the cry.

* * *

A dark grey furred wolf had just finished tieing up a young woman with fool-proof rope. He was in the middle of silencing her with duct tape. "C'mon toots," he said in a deep voice. "I only want to see what you have under those clothes!"

The woman began to cry, squirming within the confines of the strong rope. The wolf cackled. "Give it up babe! There's no one who can hear you scream anymore! Please allow me to show you the inside of my van!"

"Haven't seen your face around here before. You new to the city?" Splendid asked, floating above with arms crossed.

The wolf looked up in shock at the strange flying squirrel above him.

"Well, seeing as your new here, allow me to direct you to the town sheriff." Splendid cracked his knuckles. "Me."

The wolf laughed, whipping out a pistol. "Impressive floating trick there pal, but allow ME to direct you to hell!" he yelled, firing his gun to the hero's face.

Splendid turned away, making it appear as though he'd been shot. The tied up woman made an audible screaming sound, thinking that her only savior was dead.

"Not so tough, are you Mr. Sheriff?" the wolf cackled.

Suddenly, Splendid turned back around, showing his teeth. Both the criminal wolf and captured lady gasped, their eyes wide in disbelief. The bullet sat between the hero's teeth, caught before it could make impact.

Splendid landed on the ground, rushing up to the wolf. He threw his fist back and slammed it into his face. The wolf flew back a few feet from the sheer strength of the punch. Landing with a thud against the wall, he was bleeding massively from his mouth and his left eye, which was now black and blue. He growled, and fired many bullets at the blue hero. Splendid nimbly evaded his shots with blinding speed, closing the gap between the two. The wolf's gun quickly ran out of ammo, at about the same time Splendid's fist made contact with his face for the second time. Already against the wall, the wolf's head crashed to the floor, nearly rendering him unconscious.

Splendid frowned down upon his enemy. "It's people like you that give my city a bad name." he said agressively. The wolf simply made a muffling sound against the dirt, in too much pain to respond.

The hero turned to the tied up girl, who was still in shock and tears. He quickly untied her, carefully removing the tape from her mouth. "You alright?" he asked.

The girl looked to him, and wiped her tears away. "I...I think so...but I was so scared...th-thank you..." she stammered.

Splendid looked over her. "Nothing broken? All limbs in place?" he asked. She appeared fine. Suddenly, realization struck the squirrel. "Hey, you're Flaky aren't you? Giggles' friend?"

The girl, Flaky, looked up at him with confusion on her face. "You...y-you know Giggles?" she asked through sobs.

Splendid swiped the porcupine off her feet, allowing her to hang onto him for support. "Yeah, the little pink chipmunk." he answered, gently floating in the air. "Me and her talk on occasions. I have to help her out of a lot of trouble these days."

Flaky looked down, fearing the height that the hero was taking her, but not mentioning it. "She t-told you about m-me?"

Splendid noticed Flaky's fearful gaze to the ground and descended a little. "Yup." he assured. "We often talked about about our lives and such." he tried to explain slowly, allowing Flaky to calm down from her recent attack. "She told me about her friends. Based on her descriptions, I pieced together that you were the girl she called Flaky."

The red porcupine smiled through her tear-stained face. "You recognized me through description? Y...you're good."

Splendid smiled. "Thank you, but I should get you to a hospital right away." he turned to the now passed out wolf. "And him to a lowly jail cell."

Flaky was clearly against the idea of a hospital, what with the sharp objects and painful surgery techniques. "No! I-I mean...why don't you just take me to Giggles' house? T-that's where I was headed any-anyway." she stuttered.

The hero looked at her with concern. "Are you sure?"

She nodded.

"Alright. I'll go by what you're saying." the hero responded. After all, that chipmunk doubled as a nurse.

He turned to the wolf and decided to wait for police to arrive. Carrying Flaky in his arms, he took out his emergency cell phone and dialed 911.

* * *

**Well, there you have it. I'm gonna try to keep Splendid away from the stereotypical super hero nonsense, like always fighting to serve justice or always being a hero who's eager to fight all the time. He's gonna come across some internal thoughts and actions over the time period.**

**Anyway, review me some good feedback or congratulations and next chapter I'll respond to your reviews.**

**Until then, peace out. ;)**


	2. Jobs and Emails

**Hey gang. Sorry for the wait, but I've been busy with school and such. Anyway, thanks to all reviewers, you'll find replies at the bottom.**

**New chapter, focusing on Splendid's life away from heroing and Flaky's thoughts and the whereabouts of our green bear.**

**Warning, this chapter contains a good bit of Flippy x Flaky in a flashback. Nothing explicit, but a lot of romance. Sorry to people who don't like the couple, but I couldn't resist. If you don't like it, then skip over the flashback text. You won't miss much more than mushy, gooey romance stuff.**

**Note: This chapter is also not as action oriented. But the action will return shortly.**

**Note #2: There's a poll on my profile that asks who YOU think would win, Flippy or Splendid. Vote now, and the winner will end up winning the fight in the showdown chapter!**

**Anywho, here's a slower paced segment of Dear Agony. Enjoy.**

* * *

**Dear Agony**

**Chapter Two: Jobs and Emails**

Splendid arrived with Flaky at Giggles' house after police had arrived to arrest the grey wolf, who turned out to be named Axel. The wolf was new to the city, but he had a criminal record beyond belief.

Giggles happily greeted them when they arrived, but quickly caught on to the fact that Flaky had been crying. Splendid explained the situation to her.

"Dear god!" Giggles yelped in disbelief. "I can't believe all that really happened! I'm sooooo sorry Flaky!" She proceeded to hug the porcupine tightly, watching out for her sharp quills.

Flaky sniffed, entering the chipmunk's house. "I'm fine. Well, I-I am now, thanks to...S-...Splan-..."

"Splendid." The blue hero finished for her."And it's no trouble at all Ms. Flaky." he said with a smile.

"You're always such a gentlemen!" Giggles happily said.

Splendid stood in the kitchen doorway while Flaky sat on an overly pink couch. Giggles offered Splendid some tea, which he politely refused. "Splendid, you always do such great things for our happy little town." Giggles complimented.

The squirrel shrugged and leaned against the wall. "It's my job. That's what I was born to do. And no one messes with my town and gets away with." he commented, peeling a banana.

"Well Splendy, I think you deserve some kind of appreciation." Giggles responded with a chuckle.

_Did she just call me Splendy?_ he thought, confused.

Giggles sat with Flaky on the couch. The red porcupine was still shaking. "It's gonna be okay Flakes." Giggles reassured. "No one else is going to hurt you."

"Not on my watch." Splendid chimed in.

Flaky gave a nervous smile, a slight blush coming to her already red face. "T-thank you so much..." she said with a nervous laugh, then she quietly sipped at her tea.

The girls continued to chat about the situation on the sofa while Splendid finished his banana. _Could've been more fresh._ He thought to himself. Shrugging, he threw the empty banana peel in the trash, then looked out the window again. The town was basking in a lovely light, casted by the full moon that was hovering over Earth. The hero sighed and looked to the girls.

"...and don't get me wrong, I would've been scared too!" Giggles said, conversing with her timid friend. "Right Splendy?" she asked, turning to where the squirrel was standing.

The window was open, and Splendid was nowhere to be seen. "Splendy?" Giggles called to the absent savior.

Back in his house, the blue hero put his bandanna up for the second time today. He sighed with the realization that he still may not get any sleep if someone gets themselves into danger out there. But he made that promise years ago to protect any citizen in need while he was around, and he was prepared to see it through. Even if that meant lack of much needed sleep.

He set his alarm to 6:30 a.m. so he could get up and go to work. Saving lives doesn't pay the bills, he always assumed. His job as a reporter was enlightening, but if nothing else, it got food on the table.

He hopped on his bed and put his hands behind his head. Hopefully, he'd finally get some sleep...

3 a.m.

He heard a cry for help.

4:45 a.m.

An alarm went off.

5:25 a.m.

Bonfire went haywire.

5:26 a.m.

Bonfire went haywire. Again.

5:27 a.m.

Destroyed the bonfire.

6:00 a.m.

Stopped a shootout.

6:30 a.m.

BZZZZT! BZZZZT!

It was the alarm. And it was time for Splendid to get up for work.

Although not as tired as a normal animal would've been after getting virtually no sleep, he was still a bit exhausted. That damn bonfire woke him up three times in a row. He yawned and headed off to the shower.

After eating breakfast, he donned his disguise-only glasses, suit, and tie. Grabbing his suitcase, he checked his cell phone after it went off in a flurry of ringing noises. It was a text from Giggles. It read:

hey splendy haha lol lyke da nickname? wats up??? :)

_Only that over eccentric chipmunk would text someone this early _he thought to himself, not even bothering to text back.

He quickly threw on his reporter's fedora and headed out the door. He was no longer Splendid. He was now Chris Splendids. Or, C.S, for short.

Casually walking along the littered streets of Happy Tree Town, Splendid...or, Chris, glanced at the passing civilians. He was surprised to see so many people up this early in the morning. And they all seemed so alert. He kept note of that, wondering if a new coffee shop had opened up.

He passed by many different kinds of people. There were two suspicious looking men wearing over-sized shirts and shorts that hung off their asses. He shivered at the sight, but made sure to keep an eye on them. He passed by a bench, where couples were exchanging romantic gestures. He smiled, thinking of how happy love could make someone...and then he frowned, remembering how happy love could make someone. Putting dead memories aside, he looked upon more bystanders, watching out for those about to get themselves in prickly situations.

Before long, Splendid had made his way to the large skyscraper-like building, cleverly called, The Daily Acorn. The hero passed by an overly buff guard at the front of the gate. "Mornin' Greg." Splendid greeted.

"Mornin' Chris." the living tank responded.

Now in the main lobby, 'Chris' walked behind the front desk to sign the paper, signifying that he made it to work today. He was never sick, never out, never unavailable to work. Sometimes his manager would force him to take vacations.

He made his way to the elevator, following his daily routine. Exiting, he said hello to a few friendly faces, before finally making it into his clean, fixed office.

...Which was now a mess. Fliers everywhere, papers scattered, holes in the wall...Holes in the wall?!_ What in the...!_ Splendid thought, seeing the damage. Before long, he saw the culprit of his filthy office.

Out came his nerdy assistant co-worker, Sniffles. The glasses wearing anteater was struggling to hold the green sugar-coated squirrel, Nutty, by a leash. Splendid's face went blank with confusion.

Sniffles uselessly tried to keep Nutty from reaking any more havoc. "Stop! Heel! Cease and desist!" he was calling in a high pitched, almost feminine voice.

Nutty was nearly breaking the rope in excitement. "WHERE IS DA CANDY? NUTTY HAS DA CANDY! HAHA!" he screeched.

The blue hero frowned. Someone obviously fed the jittery squirrel sweets this morning. With no effort, and in hopes to stop the chaos, Splendid reached his hand out and took the rope from Sniffles. He reigned it back with force, automatically stopping Nutty in his tracks. The green animal yelped and fell on his butt, calming down slightly. He looked up at the hero who tamed him. "Oh, hey Chris! Isn't it a beautiful morny-morny?"

Splendid looked to the squirrel, marveling at how weird his way of speaking was. "Morning Nutty. Ever thought about having sugarless coffee?"

"Naw, I don't drink the coffee stuff." He claimed with a toothy smile.

Splendid sighed, and turned to the anteater who was adjusting his crooked glasses. "Hey, I thought we agreed to keep this guy sugar-free while he was at work!" the hero argued.

Sniffles frowned, ashamed. "Well, I know that...but he was getting on my nerves! Candy this, calories and sugar that, it's baffling! It's astronomical!"

Splendid had a blank expression. "What?" he asked, not understanding the scientist's complicated vocabulary.

"Sorry, I mean that he got pretty annoying, and I gave into the pressure." he gave a nervous chuckle. "My bad, Chris."

The hero shrugged and handed Sniffles the leash. "Just fix him up a bit. And get to your station before manager Lumpy comes in."

The mention of Lumpy's name put Sniffles into action. He jumped up in panic and grabbed the leash. "Oh rotten apples! You're right!" he yelled. He scurried out of the room, dragging the twitching squirrel behind him.

Splendid looked at his destroyed office. He smiled. _Not a problem._ he thought.

He shut the door to his room and locked it. Now away from the public eye, he crouched down, waited a second, and dashed around the office with furious speed. Moving at the speed of light, the hero threw away papers, adjusted seats, fixed windows, covered any unsightly holes, and dusted off the area. After no more that a minute, he landed on the ground, skidding to a stop. He glanced at his work. The room looked flawless, clean and organized beyond rational thought. Not a spec of dirt could be seen around the vicinity.

Satisfied, the squirrel unlocked the door and sat in his chair, cracked his knuckles, and typed work related info on his laptop.

* * *

Flaky arrived at her cozy little home at the edge of town. Dropped off by Giggles, she waved goodbye before heading in.

Flaky's home was a small and simple house, with pictures of her friends and family hanging on the wall, surrounded by basic furniture and decor (courtesy of Petunia, the perfectionist). Still a bit shaken up and paranoid, the red porcupine locked her door before entering the her humble abode.

She hopped on a rolling chair in her room, and moved in front of her computer. Wiping another tear from her still nervous face, she flicked the screen on and checked her e-mails, hoping what she was waiting for was there.

It was. An e-mail from her currently far away and dearest friend, Flippy.

The letter read:

_Dear Flaky_

_Sorry I haven't typed or written in a while. Sarge is drilling us pretty hard out here on the field. He's kind of a take no prisoners kinda guy. But don't worry, I'm fine. Well, more than fine actually. Recently my training unit was assigned our own prop weapons that we'll be using for combat practice. I'm doing pretty good, and Sarge is thinking about naming me the captain of my squad. Though, he jokingly says that I should stick to hand-to-hand combat, as my aim with a gun isn't all that great. I shared a good laugh too, 'cause he's kinda right._

_Anyway, I've been meaning to ask how things are going in Happy Tree Town (I still think that's a stupid name for a town, but not my problem). How are you? And how are my friends? Cuddles still skating? Toothy still a dentist? C'mon, I'm curious to see how my buddies have been since I left over a year ago. Has the city gone to hell yet? Nah, I'm kidding. I'm sure that hero guy is taking care of it...although that's kinda why I'm scared. Heh, only kidding._

_So like I said, I'm doing good, other than the fact that I'm missin' you guys a lot. Made a few good friends here in the camp though. Scott was drafted here after being tricked by some friends into thinking that he was signing up for a free guitar. I laughed at his story, but he whacked be upside the head afterward. I'll have to remember to hit 'em back, the bastard. Heh, but I'm still having fun. I guess it's true what they say, second time in the military's usually better. Kinda is too, only this time I came here by choice...but whatever._

_Type or write back soon. I miss you!_

_Your soldier boy, Flippy_

_P.S. Did Disco Bear find out I stole his comb yet? Heh, just wondering._

Flaky laughed and sighed along as she read the letter a second time.

After supposedly, although it's still unconfirmed, curing himself of his maniacal doppelganger, Flippy felt he owed his time and pride to the service that made him who he was today. The military. He knew he'd miss his friends, but he was sure that he needed to go, claiming he had unfinished business to attend to. It was over a year since his friends had seen him. and all of them were aching to see him again.

Especially the timid girl, Flaky.

She remembered the night before he left, when they were still dating...

* * *

(flashback)

Flippy glanced up at the moon overhead. "Beautiful, isn't it?" he asked the red porcupine standing next to him.

She had tears in her eyes. She knew she'd never see him again for a long time. In fact, the plane that would take him to his destination was on it's way as they spoke.

Flaky looked to him, sadness in her heart. "Yeah...i-it sure is...Flippy..." she slowly sobbed, grasping her hand in his, squeezing it. "...Don't...don't go..." she begged.

Flippy closed his eyes, fighting back the tears threatening to spill out. He wrapped his arm around his girlfriend tightly, savoring their last moments together. "I know...I'm so sorry..."

A few breathless minutes went by, and the roar of a plane could be heard. The green bear looked up, realizing that their time was up.

He took Flaky in his arms, holding her gently, close to his face. Softly, he pressed his lips to hers, shutting his eyes as a lone tear escaped. She herself wasn't fighting back the sorrow, letting her tears spill out and sobs leave her now occupied lips. When the kiss ended, he looked at her. "Flaky...This is goodbye, I guess." he faked a smile.

The timid girl cried, wanting him to kiss her again, to say that he wasn't leaving.

Flippy went on. "And I know what I'm doing. I'm sorry that I can't tell you why I'm leaving again...but...since I am...I think you should...be single while I'm away..." he looked away.

Flaky's eyes flashed open. "Wh-what? What do you mean? B-break up? No! No, no, no! I want you, no one else! Flippy!" she screamed, on the verge of hysteria.

The plane landed, and people were boarding. It was time to go.

"I'm sorry." The war veteran continued. "But I can't leave knowing you'll be lonely and hurt...goodbye Flaky."

He kissed her on the forehead, his face a clear sign of how hurt he was. He let her hand go, and walked off...

* * *

Flaky had never fully recovered, though she thought it was best to fake happiness to keep Flippy from feeling guilty. She hasn't dated since, but she never told the bear. And he never mentioned it.

They've been e-mailing for some time, neither of the two talking about their last kiss, the last minutes...but Flaky knew that he was right. A long distance relationship would hurt to much.

They broke up, and now he was gone.

Faking enthusiasm, the red porcupine typed a reply to her friend. She sounded happy in the message, all to keep Flippy from worrying. Sobbing silently to herself, Flaky turned off her computer, and put her painful memories aside her. She sighed sadly, thinking of a way to keep her mind off the thoughts in her head.

Suddenly, she picked up her phone, and dialed a number.

"Hello?" a voice on the other end could be heard.

"Petunia? It's F-Flaky...do you...think that me, you, and G-Giggles could go..." she swallowed her pride. "...shopping?"

* * *

**WHAAAAT?! Flaky, shopping??? Who knew!**

**I guess people will do anything to get certain thoughts off their mind. Anyway, on to the replies.**

**Hankforthewin  
****  
I do loves me some Breaking Benjamin. Thanks for the review, though I feel like the characters were a little...OUT of character in this chapter...I'll fix that come next update. I hope.**

**Shadinn**

**Fixed it. You don't know HOW long I spent scratching my head, wondering if it was Giggles's or Giggles'. Oh well. Heh, and thanks for the cool review. And by the way, I plan to have Splendid say that NICE NEIGHBORHOOD thing later on. ;) And I won't hit you with a rock...yet. lol, just kidding.**

**Flakyfan55**

**Nice to get a review from one of my favorite authors. Thanks a bunch! And the fight against Flippy and Splendid shall be epic! EPIC!!**

**Addicting Candy**

**WHO LET YOU SEE INTO THE FUTURE- ....Er, never mind. And thank you kindly for the motivational review my friend. :)**

**'Till the next, more exciting chapter, peace out.**


	3. Training Day

**Hello once again to another chapter of Dear Agony.**

**Thanks to all reviewers who gave me the motive to continue writing even when I didn't feel like it. You guys keep me going when life has me down.**

**Anyway, I'd like to tell everyone Happy Valentine's Day. Although I f**king hate this holiday, I'm sure some people will find a way to smile as this day drags by.**

**Note: The poll still needs some votes. Make the decision of who YOU want to win, Flippy or Splendid. Winner claims victory in the showdown chapter, as I mentioned before.**

**Enough with the talking, lets get on with the chapter.**

* * *

**_Dear Agony_**

**_Chapter 3: Training Day_**

_Never blink. Never look away. Never turn your back, and never be caught off guard._

_Those are the rules to live by here. Don't follow them, and you'll be kicked out like a lowly peasant on a filthy street in the slums of a city. And if you couldn't take the heat..._

_Well, your better off staying nice and far away._

Flippy recited the letter he had signed upon entering the military service for the second time. The letter stated many rules, regulations, and other key facts that one needed to learn how to live by if they were to make it through the training grounds and onto the field of action. Even though the green bear had gone through this segment of training years ago, he was still sure that his skills needed work, as he hadn't used them in quite a long time.

But he needed his skills now more than ever, as he lay hidden under a bunker with the enemy team on the other side of the training area. Today was another day of practicing maneuvers and weapon use. This time, he was sure that his unit was ready for the complications this challenging day would offer.

The building he was in was littered with dirt, filth, and any combination of the two. Large depressions in the ceiling, prop limbs placed around the map for effect, and a foul odor was in the air to give the trainees a good idea what it was like to fight in a real war, with real death and disturbing scenes all around.

Flippy tensed, grasping his paintball pistol in his hands as he heard footsteps on the other side of the wall he was using for shelter. He slowly, ever so cautiously, turned and peeked past the other side of the wall...

A shot whizzed by his head, nearly missing the bear. Quickly, now knowing that his position was given away, Flippy turned the corner and aimed his gun. In less than a second, he opened fire on the brown beaver who was sneaking up on him. The enemy recruit anticipated Flippy's move, quickly ducking out of the way of the furious paintball bullets. The green bear cursed under his breath and threw his back against the protection of his shelter, away from enemy sight.

Flippy weighed the odds in his head. If he rushed out to his enemy, he might take a few bullets before triumphing over the beaver. But if he layed low, other enemies could make their way over and discover his hideaway.

"Oh Flippy, come on out." the enemy beaver coaxed, remembering Flippy's name. "I just wanna talk." He spoke in a sarcastic yet intimidating voice. "Everyone claims your such a great soldier, that Sarge'll give me major props for taking you down. So come play with me, pleeeeease?"

Flippy recognized the voice. It was Johnny, the annoying beaver he always ran into in the cafeteria. Johnny was a big shot with a boastful attitude. He constantly bragged about his amazing skills and accuracy with guns and other kinds of weapons. And while he was a little too boastful, Flippy had to admit that he was deadly with the right tools.

Flippy kept his mouth shut, not bothering to respond to Johnny's sarcastic comments.

Johnny shrugged. "Fine, don't come out. I guess I'll just have to go in and drag you here myself!" he screamed, letting his temper get the best of him.

Flippy heard the beaver's footsteps get heavier as he got closer. Suddenly, the footsteps stopped, and Johnny's shadow could be seen directly on the other side of the wall. Both soldiers held their breath for a solid, tense minute.

Before Flippy had a chance to turn and fire, he heard bullets striking the other side of the wall, obviously hitting Johnny as well. He heard the brown beaver screech in pain as the fast-moving paint balls struck, heavy and hard. The green bear then heard the sound of Johnny collapsing on the ground, followed by groaning in agony. Flippy stood and quickly looked around the corner to see who had shot his enemy.

"You're pretty good at getting yourself into tough situations, huh Flip-ster?" a grey fox in military garb told him.

It was Scott, Flippy's trusty teammate and friend. The green bear sighed in relief. "Y'know, I had that covered." he said, reloading his pistol.

Scott gave Flippy a look of suspicion, then he shrugged. "Yeah, sure thing Flippy." he responded sarcastically. "Anyway, Sarge said we got a few more minutes of training in this crappy bunker before we're free to go eat."

Flippy smiled to his friend. "Nice. Can't wait to grab some grub. Did you get any injuries today?"

Scott looked around his body carefully before noticing a small splotch of paint on the side of his leg. "Just once, but it's nothing to worry about." the fox noted.

Flippy shook his head. "If that were a real bullet, you wouldn't be saying 'it's nothing to worry about.' Seriously Scott, do ya think the enemy team'll let up if you're shot and doubling over in pain? No, they'll just shoot you some more to make sure they turn you into bright red burger meat."

Scott sighed and looked around, checking to see if they were being stalked or watched. Seeing no one, he turned back to Flippy. "I know, dude. But then again, if this were a real war, then I'd try and be a lot more careful."

"So you weren't being careful?" Flippy asked.

"That's not what I said."

"Yeah it is."

Getting tired of being scolded by the green bear, Scott changed the subject. "What should we do with him?" he asked, pointing to the unconscious beaver on the ground.

Flippy looked to the downed soldier. "Don't worry about it." he responded. "That guy carries himself on such a high horse that I'm sure he could ride it to the infirmary."

Scott let out a hearty laugh. "Good one Flip-ster! That dude IS pretty freakin' annoying, ain't he?"

After a while of waiting and searching for more enemies to fight against, an alarm sounded off, signifying that today's training session was over. The two friends made their way out of the grimy building and into the campsite for some much needed lunch.

* * *

It was late by now, and all trainees were dispatched back to their tents for whatever purpose they had, whether it was to sleep, or use a device they brought from home.

Flippy, now in the comfort of his own bunker-like tent, pulled out a laptop from his bag. Before opening it, he took off his beret and tossed it onto his lonely mattress in the corner. Taking off his jacket to reveal an undershirt, he threw that to the bed too, opening the laptop and checking through his e-mails.

After much scrolling through his inbox, he found a new message from his dear friend, Flaky. He read it to himself.

_Dear Flippy_

_I'm happy to hear that you're doing good over there. And I'm surprised that they trust you with prop weapons! Just kidding, but seriously, congrats. As long as you're enjoying yourself out there._

_And we're doing pretty good ourselves over here. Cuddles actually got asked by some television station to be an actor for a skateboarding sitcom. I think it's kinda funny, but he's bragging about it to every living soul who's willing to listen. As for Toothy, no, he got fired from his job. I felt kinda bad at first until I heard that he had accidentally ripped out an entire top row of teeth! Can you believe that! Seriously, who gave that guy a dental agreement in the first place? Hah, anyway other than that we've all mostly been missing you. Kinda sucks not having you around too._

_...Well, by the way, guess what happened to me today? Some weird wolf guy tried to kidnap me. And before you start laughing, I'm being serious! But don't worry, I was saved just in time by Splendid (I think that's how you spell his name). It was really scary, but Giggles helped calm me down a little bit. But I really wish you were here to help cheer me up. Oh well, I guess I'll be okay though._

_You've been talking about that Scott guy for a while, when are you going to send me that picture of him? You said you would, but I'm sure your busy, so I'll wait._

_Hope you're having fun!_

_Sincerely, Flaky_

_P.S. He is PISSED. Haha, bye Flipps!_

Flippy chuckled to himself, realizing that when he gets home he's gonna hear Disco Bear rant on about the stolen comb. _Not like it even matters, that guy has over fifty of those things. _He thought to himself.

Shocked to hear about the kidnapping incident, Flippy typed back another message full of questions and apologies for not being there to help. After the long reply, he shut off his laptop and put it away.

Content with the day's training and hard work, Flippy yawned and threw himself onto his mattress. Kicking off his army boots, he turned off all lights and put his hands behind his head, closing his eyes and drifting to sleep.

* * *

"I was cheated!"

Johnny was throwing a rather large bitch fit after his defeat at the training grounds. He was still in the cafeteria, eating a midnight snack with his girlfriend, the nurse known as Sarah.

Sarah, a peach furred cat with beautiful blonde locks, eyed her boyfriend curiously. "Cheated out of what?" she asked.

Johnny threw his hands up in frustration. "That annoying little green bear's unit wouldn't have won if it weren't for them cheating! I had that competition in the bag! But what happened? The so-called 'best soldier here' didn't even have the guts to fight me himself! I was double teamed!" he slammed his fist down on the table and cursed.

Sarah looked away from him. "Well, I heard that Flippy, if that's his name, was ABOUT to attack, but he lucked out. I don't think you could call that cheating..." she said quietly.

Johnny glared at her. "What, you're gonna take his side now?"

She glared back. "I'm just saying that's what I heard. I never said I was taking his side." she answered.

Johnny sat in a chair and growled to himself. "Y'know what? I'm kickin' his ass tomorrow for sure! We're supposed to be practicing with bowie knives." he grinned. "And I KNOW that I can beat him in that department."

Sarah sighed and dug through her purse, pulling out a comb and brushing her hair. "If you say so. And I can't stay here forever Johnny. I'll be expected back at the clinic."

The brown beaver shrugged. He went over behind Sarah and put his arms around her waist. "Well then you just get your pretty little self off to bed. I wouldn't wanna keep you up all night like last time." he chuckled.

The peach-colored feline blushed deeply, but she giggled along with him.

They flirted for a few more minutes before Sarah left the cafeteria and made her way over to her tent. She opened the door and went inside, closing it behind her and locking it.

She turned and gasped, seeing a figure at the other side of the tent.

The figure looked at her, saying nothing. It simply glared, it's eyes glowing through the darkness.

The cat squinted, unable to make out who the figure was in the dark lighting of her room. All she saw was a black silhouette. "Hey," she called, a little nervous. "...you can't be in here this late..."

The figure continued to stare, slowly open it's mouth to reveal it's teeth. Between it's teeth was an object.

Sarah squinted again, able to see that the object in it's mouth was a large, blood stained knife. She gasped again, almost ready to run out the door.

Before the feline had the chance to turn and flee, the figure grabbed the knife out of it's teeth and leaped at her aggressively, knocking the now screaming nurse to the ground. Hovering over her, the figure put the cold steel of the blade to her neck, gently rubbing the broad side along her skin. She held her breath, tears threatening to spill out of her eyes. She began to open her mouth, a scream ready to make it's way out.

The figure saw this, and turned the knife over to it's sharp side, lifting it in the air before slashing it across her throat.

* * *

"Chris! What is this!?"

Lumpy's voice was enraged, at best. He was furiously gripping a sandwich in one hand, pointing at it with his other.

Splendid looked over the food his manager had told him to make for lunch. "Uh, it's...a ham sandwich?" the hero asked, confused.

"You're right!" the dopey blue moose threw the combination of ham and bread on his desk. "But Mr. Splendids, what I'm wondering, is why there's no cheese on it!"

Splendid was baffled. "Sir," he explained. "you said specifically NOT to put cheese on it."

Lumpy thought for a minute. "Oh yeah. I did." he realized. Then he sighed, clearly impatient. "Chris, sit down, let me explain something to you."

Splendid grabbed a chair from the corner of the room and set it down. He sat, looking up at his none to bright boss.

Lumpy moved to look out the window dramatically. Not even looking to the disguised hero, he began a speech. "Chris, there are many kinds of sandwiches in the world. You got sausage and egg, bacon and egg, bacon egg and cheese between two pancake buns, five dollar foot longs, oh, the list is endless." He put his hand on the window, as though he were upset. "But, mah boi, there is in no way, on this planet we live on, such thing," he turned to Splendid. "as a sandwich with the ridiculous combination of ham, bread, but NO CHEESE!"

Lumpy turned to the squirrel. "Do you get what I'm saying Chris?"

Splendid looked even more confused. "I get that you TOLD me to make a sandwich like that sir."

The blue moose sighed again. "My boy, regardless of what I has said...er, HAVE said, your brain should've been smart enough to realize the mistake I made and corrected."

Splendid had a blank expression across his face. Was this guy seriously upset over a sandwich? "Uh...sure thing sir...do you...want me to add cheese?"

Lumpy brightened up, a dopey and happy smile on his face. "Uh-huh! That'd be just great Chris! I ought to give you a promotion dawg gonnit!"

Splendid sighed and picked up the smashed sandwich off the dusty desk. "No problem boss."

He headed out the room and towards the employee lounge fridge. Opening the fridge, he took out some cheese and placed it on a table.

"HELP! PLEASE, NO!"

Splendid's ears perked up, hearing a voice screech the sound out. It wasn't just a cry for help, it was a plea for mercy.

Realizing that a civilian was in trouble, the blue hero left the cheese on the table, and rushed to his office. Once inside, he closed and locked the door, opening his brown suitcase. Throwing off his glasses, hat and tie, he donned his red bandanna. Faster than a speeding bullet, he opened his window, and took off outside, abandoning his work.

Now out in the town, once again as Splendid instead of Chris, he searched around for the source of the cry. Seeing nothing, he landed on the sidewalk, scanning the area for suspicious activity.

"Please, somebody help me!"

Another yelp. This time, the blue squirrel could hear that it was coming from a dark alley across the street.

Without hesitation, he sped off into the alleyway, all the while wondering where the police were. Surely he wasn't the only one hearing these sounds.

At the end of the dark, muddy corridor, Splendid came across what looked to be a stereo. The hero glanced over the strange device, baffled.

"Help me! Please!"

Splendid gasped. It was a tape recording! Which must mean that this should be a trap!

As if on cue, the dark colored wolf, Axel, leaped out of the shadows, landing a punch on the hero's unguarded stomach. Splendid coughed at the blow, before throwing his fist back and punching his enemy across his face. Axel flew back against the wall, creating a dent where he landed.

Splendid walked up to the wolf, forcefully grabbing his neck. "Y'know, this used to be a nice neighborhood before people like you tainted it!"

The wolf cackled, not even bothering to wipe the blood off his mouth. "You sorry little squirrel, you must think I give a rat's ass what this town was like before we got here!"

The hero squeezed the wolf's neck harder. "We? Who's we? What are you talking about?"

Axel coughed, trying to breath over Splendid's tough grip. "W-what...you didn't hear? About my gang?"

The hero let the wolf go, watching him like a hawk. "Gang? What gang?"

Axel threw his head back and laughed. And laughed, and laughed.

"What's so damn funny?" Splendid asked, growing irritated.

Suddenly, a large hammer struck the hero on the back of his head. The force of the blow was strong enough to render the superhero unconcious as he fell to the ground with a thud.

* * *

**Uh-oh. Looks like trouble. Let's hope our squirrely friend will be able to nut up or shut up and get himself out of this fix.**

**BTW, I love Lumpy's conversation about sandwiches. What's not to love about that guy?**

**_deadliving_**

**Thanks for the review, and you couldn't be more right about love. *sigh***

**_DJ Shifty_**

**A review from another one of my favorite authors! Oh happy day! *Ahem* Anyway, I guess it can be tough to let a love go. I should know. And thanks for including Scott in Bloody Vengeance. I can't wait to read it!**

**_Schadinn_**

**Thanks buddy. Your reviews are long but funny, and I enjoy reading them. ;)**

**_Addicting Candy_**

**Thanks a bunch! I love the details too.**

**_Flakyfan55_**

**Glad you liked the response, and I hope you like this one too ;) Thanks for the review!**


	4. Let's Groove Tonight

**Hola peeps. It's update time for a story that...well, hasn't been updated in a while.**

**Anyway, just randomly letting folks know, 3-10 was my birthday, so I'd like to thank those who wished me a happy birthday on deviantART. And bigger thanks to Flakyfan55 for drawin' me a pic for my B-Day as well. Thanks a lot buddy!**

**This chapter is a bit shorter than others in the story, but it was mostly just to let people know this story was not forgotten. And simply because I got an idea for a random scenario involving a certain female-crazed character.**

**Disclaimer: McGriddles are copyrighted by McDonald's. Confused? Read on and find out why I said that.**

**Note: Congratulations to Lacheetara for noticing the little Easter egg in Lumpy's sandwich conversation, "Mah boi". That discovery is what all true warriors strive for.**

* * *

**_Dear Agony_**

**_Chapter Four: Let's Groove Tonight_**

Splendid slowly lifted his groggy eyelids. All he saw around him was dark. Nothing but pure dark.

The blue hero tried to move, but quickly found himself restraint. He glanced down and noticed a tightly constricted metal pipe, somehow twisted and turned to form a constraint around his body. The hero strained and squirmed to try and free himself from the cold steel. No dice. What was this thing made of? How could it keep the hero from moving?

Frustrated, he gave up and tried another tactic. He noticed that there was a lone cell phone lying on a dusty table to his left. Realizing his hands were free, he reached over and picked it up. Quickly, he dialed the number of that fanatic beaver who, for some odd reason, gave the squirrel his phone number.

* * *

Elsewhere, Toothy's phone went off in a flurry of ringing noises. However, the purple beaver was too distracted to realize it.

Toothy smiled. "Hey Cuddles!" he called. "Come look!"

The yellow rabbit rushed over to his friend. "What?" he asked, but stopped dead in his tracks as he saw a mountain of McDonald's brand McGriddles towering over him. For a moment, he stared blankly at the pile of calories ahead of him, speechless. Finally, he came to his senses. "So you gathered and assembled a group of unhealthy fatty breakfast sandwiches. And?" he asked.

Toothy grinned. "Ah, Cudd-Meister, it may be fatty and unhealthy, but it's also greasy and bad for your teeth."

"Where did you get the money for all this?" Cuddles asked.

"Well Cuddles, I'm glad you asked. First, I found an empty McDonald's with the back door open. Then, I-"

"You stole these!?" Cuddles interupted. "Do you WANT to get thrown in the slammer?"

There was a long pause.

"Slammer means prison, Toothy."

"Oh." the beaver responded.

Cuddles buried his face in his hands. A few seconds later, they heard a knock at the door.

"Open up!" yelled a husky police man. "We know you're in there!"

Toothy's eyes widened. Cuddles freaked out, yelling "Oh no, I am NOT going to jail because my so-called 'friend' wanted to gorge himself in calories and fats! Toothy, we gotta go!"

The beaver frowned. "But all the doors are barred!"

"You barred the doors!?" Cuddles asked.

Toothy nodded. "And the only way out is where the cops are at!"

Cuddles threw his hands up in panic. "Oh, what do they want with a mountain of McGriddles anyway!? Dude, start eating!" he yelled, pointing to the combinations of egg, cheese, bacon and pancake.

Toothy glanced to the pile, a mischevious grin across his face.

* * *

Splendid growled as the phone continued to ring, no one answering. Giving up, he lay his head back, his mind swarming with escape plans. So far, only one of them sounded legit.

Bracing himself, he looked to the iron pipe and began to fire a burning heat wave from his eyes. It made contact with the object quickly, and it began to light up with a shining red. The hero knew this tactic would burn him up pretty bad, but he knew that he didn't really have any other option. A while passed, and the searing heat was beginning to singe the squirrel's fur. The pipe was practically glowing with an intense orange color.

Splendid ceased his laser, checking over the nice and burned pipe. Satisfied, though partly barbecued, he felt that it was now weak enough to break out of. He gathered all his strength, and thrust his arms outward. His plan worked, and the pipe shattered into many bright and shiny pieces, falling away from him with a glistening beauty. The hero panted, partly out of breath from the exercise. However, he was not clueless of his current situation of capture, and he stood up and glanced at the scenery around him.

It was dark. That was obvious. But with advanced vision, the hero could make out a few key notices. There were many crates lying around, and it was extremely dusty. It looked abandoned, yet at the same time he could tell someone had recently been moving around in the area, no doubt the people who carried him in. But the most odd thing that Splendid noticed was that in the background he could make out...

Disco music?

WTF?

The hero raised an eyebrow in deep confusion. Quickly sighting which direction the funky beats were coming from, he made his way over to what looked to be a window. Sure enough, on the other side, he saw what looked to be a dance floor, complete with disco balls and blinding lights. But the space appeared empty.

The bandana-clad squirrel quietly opened the window and hopped inside the flashing room. It was fairly loud, but not ridiculously. He looked around. Still no one in sight. He noticed a large, disco themed door to his left, and made his way to it as silent as possible.

He grasped the brightly colored and hand crafted door handle and opened it. Inside was an everyday living space. A plasma screen television set was sitting on a large desk against the right wall. To the left was a big and fancy fish tank...with a whole two fish in it. _What a waste_ the hero thought. There was a behemoth sized bed at the other end of the room, designed with tiger stripes and a similarly fashioned bed spread and blanket.

Splendid then heard a noise, and quickly crouched behind the overly-large bed. He tensed, ready for any action or danger that might make it's jolly way towards him. He heard footsteps, followed by what sounded like humming. The noises were getting closer and closer, until finally, the squirrel could take no more suspense.

Figuring whatever was ahead of him wouldn't be able to stop a superhero, he leaped out of his hidey hole and pounced on a figure looming ahead of him. He quickly brought the culprit down, as it was clearly not expecting an attack.

Splendid's assault was met with a girly scream and the sight of an afro-wearing brown bear.

"Hey hey HEY!! What's the big idea?!" he screeched at the squirrel.

Splendid hopped off the bear, confusion on his face. "What the-...who are you?" he asked, pointing an accusing finger at the funky clothing-clad animal.

The bear looked to the hero, clearly bewildered. "Who am I? Who are you! What'cho doin' breakin' into mah humble abode? Ain't'cha ever heard of privacy?" he yelled back.

Splendid lowered his stance. "Wait, you don't know what I'M doing here? But...didn't you kidnap me or...something?" he asked.

The bear raised an eyebrow. "Kidnapped? Man, the only thing I ever kidnapped was a lady, but that ended with a lawsuit so I decided to forget that. But what'cha talkin' 'bout?"

The hero rubbed the top of his head, frustrated. "...Er, well, I WAS kidnapped I think, and when I woke up I was in a dark room...and I made my way to a dance floor I thin-"

"You were in my private studio!?" the brown animal cried. "No ones s'possed to know about that!...But seeing as ya know anyway, it's pretty impressive, ain't it?" he said, a boastful expression coming to his face.

Splendid gave himself a good face palm before retaliating. "Look, I just want some answers! Do you have ANY idea what's going on? Or are you really as clueless as you say?"

".....Er,"

"So you're clueless, huh?"

"I guess."

The hero sighed and glanced out a window. He saw a mall directly across the street. "You're pretty close to the mall." he noted.

The bear leaned against a wall with one hand, trying to look cool. "Yep, sure do. I LIVE for the shopping mall, but not for the shopping."

The squirrel looked to him curiously. "Then what for?"

"The _ladies_." he said in a dreamy voice. "Man, you have NO idea what I'd do for a beautiful chicka, know what I'm sayin'?"

"Uh, no, not really." Splendid replied. Was he really getting into a woman conversation with this stranger? He needed answers! "So, who are you anyway?" he asked the strange disco bear.

"Disco Bear." he replied.

The hero stared at him long and hard, not saying a word.

"What?" the brown animal asked.

"Are you serious?" Splendid questioned. After the bear nodded, he sighed and glanced back out the window. "Well, I'd like to search around your home for clues."

Disco Bear began to panic. "No! I mean, you'd find somethings you wouldn't really like." he said.

"Like what?" the hero asked.

"....."

"Dirty things?"

"..._Kinda_."

Splendid gave up and opened the window. "If you don't know what's going on, then I can't suspect you of anything. Regardless, I'm not dropping this. I'll be back to search later."

The brown bear shrugged. "Whatever man. Just as long as ya call first."

And with that, the flying squirrel darted out into the city, leaving behind a blue trail as he fled. He stopped short as he noticed something below him.

There was Axel, the grey wolf that had tricked him earlier. He was heading into the shopping plaza.

The hero growled angrily. _Time for some answers _he thought to himself. He breathed heavily before rocketing towards the mall, after the trouble-proned trickster.

* * *

**Mostly dialouge and comedy themed. Either way, I hope you guys enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

**_Lacheetara_**

**Good job with the Easter egg, and thanks for the review!**

**_Flakyfan55_**

**Thank you my good friend! And who knows? Maybe Johnny will pull a trick or two... O_O**

**_Schadinn_**

**I always find your reviews a pleasure to read. MANLY BROFIST! :U**

**_Addicting Candy_**

**Yep, he sure does. Thanks for the review!**

**_DJ Shifty_**

**Yeah, he has the tendency to do that, xD Once again, thanks for the review!**

**_deadliving_**

**Nice. Wish we could tell that dopey moose all that, lolz. Anyway, Splendid was blinded by anger, Flippy hates sarcastic little no-good *ahem* and Flaky will definitely be in for a surprise....**

**_Bloodshed Gal_**

**Thanks, and yeah, I know...**

**Well, 'till next time folks.**


	5. The Art of Dodging

**This chapter was rushed in many ways, but I hope it's tolerable.**

**At about the point where Lumpy comes in, I drank lots and LOTS of coffee, so I barely even remember writing that section :P I like it, but it's a bit weird to me.**

**Quick note: In an email Scott begins to type, a little bit of his past is described, mostly just characters though. A future story is in the makes, detailing Scotty's background for those who care. It may be my first story to accept OC's, but I'm not sure yet.**

**By the way, I'm fully recovered from my surgery and my computer is back up and running. I'm officially 'back'.**

**Cheers.**

* * *

_**Dear Agony**_

_**Chapter Five: The Art of Dodging**_

* * *

Scott stood quietly on the soft ground, paintball splaters everywhere he turned. He was gripping a meat and cheese taco, taking frequent bites with a delightful expression on his face.

"DODGE!"

Suddenly, Scott was bashed across the head with a stone from nowhere. He yelped and crashed to the floor, letting go of his lunch in the process. The Mexican food landed with a thud in a large ant hill. Scott growled and turned to the stone-hurler, noticing it was Flippy.

"Dude, what the hell was that for!?" the fox yelled to the bear.

Flippy had a determined look on his face with no hint of sympathy. "If that were a grenade or thrown knife, you would've been dead Scotty." he said, taking out an apple and biting into it.

Scott looked dumbfounded. "Your point?" he asked, arms crossed.

"I'm trying to teach you a very important technique that you'll need to learn if you're to survive on the battlefield: The art, of the dodge." he answered, smiling.

"That's great Flipps." the rocker said, uncrossing his arms and turning away to leave. "But I'm here 'cause I was tricked, not 'cause I want to learn how to 'war'. Thanks, but no-"

"Dodge!"

Scott turned. "Wha-" but was interupted by a flying apple to the face. He quickly lost his balance and landed on the ground, partially dizzy.

Flippy hovered him, arms crossed and a tsk tsk look on his face. "Never turn your back on the enemy Scott. Oh, and whether you care or not, you'll get slaughtered on the training grounds if you can't dodge good. So pick it up Scotty." And with that, he smirked and walked casually away, humming a merry tune.

* * *

Lumpy sat in his office quietly, looking around the room with whatever concentration he could muster...which, granted, wasn't much. After a while of careful observation, he could finally make the assumption that he thought:

Chris wasn't here.

The dopey boss was unaware that the disguised hero had left work over an hour ago.

"Chris!" the blue moose shouted. "Could you come in here please?"

He intertwined his fingers and placed them on his desk, awaiting his employee. After a few good minutes, he shouted. "Chris, could you come in here?"

More minutes.

"Chris?"

More minutes.

".....Chris!"

Still more minutes. Enough to bore the author of this story.

"CHRIS!"

Finally, he got up, and walked out of his room angrily, murmuring gibberish to himself. He stepped into the hall, passed Nutty, who had once again gotten loose, and into the kitchen. "Chris!" he said once inside. "Where's that sandwich I asked for?"

He waited with his hands on his hips for an answer. But, the room was empty.

After a long, long while, he realized something:

Chris wasn't here.

He raised an eyebrow and scanned the room for any evidence of his employee. Seeing nothing, he turned to the table, and gasped. There lied cheese, left out in the open with the fridge door open. "This is terrible!" he shouted. "This is madness!" Then, he turned his head to the sky. "This, is, abandoned cheese...and SPARTA!!"

He then kicked the cheese off the table in blind fury. "Chris has gone missing!" he told himself. "I must assemble an elite team of searcher...-ers, and find my employee!" He raised his fist in the air. "It, is, my..."

"DESTINY!"

* * *

Scott typed with fast fingers on his computer, creating an email.

_Dear Violet_

_Hey there sweetie. Look, I think you're still a little peeved at me...and I'm sorry. I can't believe I got tricked by Duncan into signing that 'contract' for the free guitar. But even HE didn't know it was a military application!_

_How about this: Instead of kicking Duncan's sorry ass for this, why don't you trick HIM into joining here? I made a friend named Flippy who could kick his ass and teach that bastard what for, Lol._

_Anyway, I really miss you. I swear, I'll find a way out of here, if it's the last thing I-_

His typing was interupted by a wrench, slamming into his face and knocking him to the ground.

"DODGE!!" Flippy's voice could be heard from far away.

* * *

Johnny was sharping his knife violently, a fierce gleam in his eyes. He was minutes away from 'practicing' melee weapon training with Flippy, who he dubs the attention whore of the camp.

Sparks soared off the blade in a bloody light, as Johhny's grin widened across his lips. He had today all planned out: Beating and kicking Flippy's ass, then dinner and a 'late night' with his girlfriend. Not only would he be the toast of the camp grounds, but he's gonna be getting lucky tonight with the hottest woman around. He could not be more boastful.

It's too bad he didn't know his girl was buried in a bloody mess.

On the training fields, Flippy gripped his prop knife tightly, swinging it swiftly and valiantly in wide motions, practicing before his melee training. He smiled, proud that his skills hadn't rusted from the years away from fighting. But then again, the last fighting he had done wasn't his own doing. It was his evil mirrored self.

He shook his head, trying to forget those painful memories. The blood on his hands, the fear on Flaky's face...

"ALL RIGHT ROOKIES, FALL IN!"

Flippy turned to the Sarge, who had made his way onto the field, arms behind his back and a stern look on his face. He turned to Flippy with a smile. "Training's over boy. Time for the competition."

The green bear smiled back. "Yes sir. Ready and attentive." he said, putting his prop weapon away and saluting.

The Sarge laughed, shaking his head and placing a hand on Flippy's shoulder. "Ah, I love that confidense of yours, trainee. You haven't changed a bit since you were last here."

Flippy sighed, still smiling. "Neither have you, Sarge."

It wasn't long before all the soldiers in training arrived outside, lined up and ready with their wooden knives. Scott hopped next to Flippy, a small mark on his face in the shape of a wrench.

Flippy stiffled a laugh.

"Yeah, laugh it up Greeny." he snorted.

"Alright you worthless maggots!" Sarge shouted. "I'll call you up two at a time. I want a good, clean fight...meaning, I want to see heads roll and many concusions and bruises! Mario, Sonic, you're up!"

A red capped bear turned to a blue hedgehog. "You-a goin' down." he mumbled angrily.

Johnny glanced in Flippy's direction, smirking. It was only a matter of time before he would become the best soldier on the field. He had colored his real knife brown to resemble wood, refusing to fight with cheap tree bark. If he would win, he'd do it with pride.

Several names were called, and several battles were fought. Many people went up against each other: Raymond and Craig, Gordon and Greg, Damian and Jared, Bill and Francis, Drake and Josh, and finally, Scott and someone named Edward. Scott had emerged victorious, returning next to Flippy out of breath.

"Whew...yeah...how was that, Sir Flips A Lot?" he panted.

Flippy smiled and patted his back. "Good job Scotty."

"Alright, next, Flippy and Johnny." Sarge called.

The soldiers began cheering. This was obviously a boastful fight they'd been anticipating.

Flippy sighed and stepped forward, taking out his wooden knife. Johnny, grinning widely, stepped forward too, unleashing his real knife, in all it's painted glory. The two stopped facing each other, Flippy with a look of calm and Johhny with a look of cockiness.

"Ready to fail, Flipps?" The beaver asked.

Flippy rolled his eyes. "Y'know John, there's more to life than winning."

"Yes," Johhny replied quickly. "Which I plan to do."

"Whatever."

Sarge raised his pistol in the air, and pulled the trigger, firing with one word: "FIGHT!"

Johnny shouted and rushed to Flippy, raising his weapon in the air. The green bear nimbly side-stepped his attack, swinging his knife to whack the beaver in the chest. Johnny yelped as the sharp wood left a small cut across his stomach. Angrily, he swung vertically to Flippy's chest, but as Flippy backed away from the attack, he spun around slashed again, nailing the bear in the chest with a sharp grunted as the steel sliced him, leaving a gash full of blood. "What the-" he asked himself, checking Johnny's weapon.

Sure enough, the paint had worn away and was replaced with a bit of blood and steel, revealing Johhny's actual bowie knife. Flippy gasped.

Before he had the chance to shout to Sarge about his discovery, the annoying beaver was charging him again, knife raised high. Flippy quickly ducked, allowing Johnny to trip over him and land on the ground with a thud. Angrily and out of blind fury, Johnny chucked the knife towards the bear, sharp tip first. Yelping, Flippy slid away, letting the weapon soar away.

The green bear gasped when he saw the weapon flying straight towards Scott, who wasn't paying attention and was facing away. Flippy sped towards the fox, shouting his name and jumping at him. Scott turned, saw the knife, half screamed, and was pushed away by Flippy. Not getting out of the way on time, the blade slashed across Flippy's back, making him screech and land painfully on the ground.

Johnny had his hands covering his mouth. That DEFINITELY didn't go as planned.

Flippy lay in pain on the soft grass, wincing. Scott quickly kneeled beside him, freaked out and still panicked. "Holy crap, I'm so sorry Flips!"

The bear sighed, and turned to his friend. "Scott, c-can I ask you something real quick?"

"Sure man, anything." the worried fox replied.

Then, Flippy asked his question in perfect clarity:

"Why, didn't, you, DODGE!?!?!"

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed. The running gag, the whole "dodge" thing, isn't my idea, and was (apparently) based off of some Dragon Ball Z parody on Youtube. Sorry for not mentioning that, but I was surprised myself when I realized that.**

**'Till next update.**

**Thanks to all reviewers. More reviews are always welcome and appreciated.**


	6. Super Market Beatdown

Not the longest or best chapter, but hey, I'm satisfied.

**Recently, inspiration has been getting to me often. I've already submitted a new story, and two non-HTF one-shots. I feel like my original fanfics are being neglected by me.**

**So, I've decided to focus primarily on Dear Agony and Kharved in Blood, with Tribal Ink and the new Diary of the Ruins story becoming my second thought. Meaning, DA and KIB will be updated more frequently. I'm trying to keep from getting carried away with my stories, and to do so, I need to get back to the basics.**

**That being said, there's a little more action in this chapter, similar to chapter one. Enjoy a late update.**

_**

* * *

**_

Dear Agony

_**Chapter Six: Super Market Beatdown**_

Splendid listened carefully to all the voices around him. He was garbed in his disguise from work, going by the alias of Chris for now. He was in a large shopping mall, and there were citizens and innocent folk everywhere. Splendid squinted his eyes, searching for the grey wold that had attacked him before, Axel.

He was very careful not to be noticed, avoiding anything that may draw attention to him. He walked casually through the mall, eyes open intently and ears perked up in case he were to hear the wolf's deep voice anywhere. He passed by a group of strange people in black, noting that one had white hair and goggles on. _Strange_, he thought, _but it's probably nothing important_.

Now in the food court, he glanced around carefully, checking the lines at McRonald's, Burger Queen, and Grubway for the nasty little criminal. Even with his advanced vision and hearing, the wolf was nowhere to be found, and he grew slightly frustrated. Before he could throw a tantrum though, he saw something off the corner of his eye: That red porcupine he saved the other day, Flaky.

She was with Giggles and Petunia, and looked very uncomfortable. She kept looking around nervously and facing the ground, as if she really didn't want to be there. Unlike her however, Giggles and Petunia were chatting their little mouths off, talking about the new dress they got or that new makeup they saw. The porcupine was still looking away as if not caring.

Splendid chuckled at the sight. It fascinated him that she was actually different from the other two females, not into shopping or fitting in. He appreciated her difference and uniqueness.

He didn't smile or laugh long before Axel reared his ugly head.

The grey wolf looked to be just arriving, and he immediately noticed the three girls standing nearby. He looked like he was ogling them, and took out a brush to comb his dark hair. The blue hero growled and cracked his knuckles aggressively.

Axel was just about to step up to Flaky before a blue light flashed by and knocked him to the ground. The citizens in the mall quickly began screaming and running away, most of them tipping over chairs and tables. Splendid, in the midst of his rush attack, discarded his disguise and was once again the well-known hero of Happy Tree Land.

The three girls screeched at the same time, and attempted to flee the scene. Before Flaky could get far, she was tackled by Axel who had a sharp knife up to her throat and a pistol in the other. She screamed and squirmed, but was no match for the wolf's strength. Splendid glared at him. "Hey, leave her alone!" he yelled angrily.

Axel spun his torso around and aimed his gun at the squirrel, keeping his other arm against the grounded porcupine. "Wha'sa matter? Don't like me touching your girlfriend?" he cackled.

Flaky blushed as she screamed. Still, she began to cry as the knife slowly inched closer to her neck.

"Romance hinders a hero's performance," he answered coldly, "and you have three seconds to get off her, you scum bag."

"Oooh, harsh," the wolf replied sarcastically.

"Why three seconds!" Flaky yelled from the ground.

Splendid ignored her comment and glared Axel down. "One . . . "

Axel smiled devilishly.

"...Two . . . "

He gripped his gun tighter.

"Three."

And with that, the blue hero charged toward him. Axel fired many shots at him, but Splendid zipped through the skies and evaded the wolf's barrage. Once close enough, he slammed himself against Axel, knocking him away from Flaky with heavy force. She sat up quickly, wiping the tears on her face with her jacket sleeve. She stared at the two intently, frozen in place...though, it wasn't really out of fear, she thought.

Splendid raised his fist to punch the wolf, but was stopped short when Axel rolled away quickly. Now beside the hero, he threw his fist and nailed Splendid in the side of his ribs. The squirrel coughed slightly before wheeling right around and striking Axel with a forceful boot to the head. The wolf yelped at the impact, soaring a good few feet to crash against the glass wall of a Hot Gothic shop. The glass shattered as he landed, and the people inside backed up to the end of the wall to evade the fight, many screaming and shouting obscenities.

Splendid was already hovering over Axel, and he knelt down to pick him up by his shirt collar. The wolf grunted and kicked his feet as he was raised in the air. Splendid readied his fist, but instead began to speak. "Alright, what the hell was that about earlier? Dumping me at that disco-like place...what happened? Answer me! What gang? Huh!" he shouted, shaking Axel roughly.

The grey animal snarled angrily, glaring at the hero. "You dim-witted noble dumbass, you think I'd explain myself to you?" he laughed. "Go ahead, torture me, take all my money, you'll never get me to sing!"

The hero sighed, still gripping Axel and holding him midair. He reached to the ground and picked up a rather large shard of glass, aiming it at the wolf's eye.

Axel yelped. "Woah, take five there, pal! Let's not jump the gun..." as he finished his sentence, he pulled out his handgun from his pocket and aimed it to Splendid's head.

The blue squirrel gasped and dropped Axel in panic, allowing the grey wolf ample time to swiftly kick his legs under the hero's, tripping him abruptly. Splendid yelped as he crashed to the ground, and Axel raised his gun again.

Before he could shoot, a metal necklace whacked the back of his head. He turned angrily to notice the hurler: Flaky, standing not too far away. "Leave him alone!" she yelled.

Axel cackled loudly, aiming his gun to her and causing her to shiver where she stood. "Well, I commend you for a split second of courage, but I laugh at your damn stupidity! Hah!"

He was quickly punched against another nearby wall, slamming into it roughly and falling to the floor again. Splendid stood back up, glancing over to Flaky with a thankful smile. She blushed and smiled back, waving weakly.

Axel steadied himself on his feet again, very slowly raising his gun again. It was knocked away by the blue hero, who grasped his collar again. "Now," Splendid said, "we can do this two ways: One, I could bash your head against the wall. Or two, you could answer my questions."

Flaky stepped closer to the hero, curious to see the incident unfold. Timidly, she asked, "...Uh, you two...know each other?"

Splendid looked at her quickly before turning back to the wolf. "You could say that," he answered.

Axel smirked, raising an eyebrow mockingly. "Oh yeah, sound so tough once you got me stuck, eh? How heroic of you," he chuckled.

Splendid gave him an open punch in the face, making the wolf's head snap back abruptly. He spit blood once he recovered and continued to laugh. The blue hero growled and tossed the criminal to the ground. By now, most of the on-lookers were gathering around for a better look. Flaky looked to the squirrel curiously, waiting for his next move.

The hero sighed, turning to face her. "Do you have a cell phone I could use? It seems it's time to put him in yet another prison," he snapped.

The red porcupine nodded nervously, reaching into her pocket and handing the hero her phone. He in turn dialed 911 and never took his eyes off the criminal.

* * *

Axel was quickly picked up by the authorities and taken to a more secure prison. The mall went under a small repair from the destruction the two had caused. Splendid himself was sitting on a nearby bench, looking to be in deep conversation.

Not too far from him, Flaky was pacing back and forth, occasionally glancing at the hero. She bit her lip, and finally worked up the courage to get closer. Now a few feet from him, she nervously shuffled her feet and looked to the ground. "...Uh, hey...t-thanks for saving me again back there..." she mumbled quietly.

Splendid looked up at her, noting how she faced the floor. He smiled anyway. "It's not a problem, young lady. Just doing my job," he said.

Flaky felt bad after he said that, realizing there was no special reason he helped her. But what did she expect? And why did she care? Still, she slowly sat on the same bench, on the far other side. She clasped her hands together and kept her eyes on the ground. "...Still, thanks anyway," she muttered.

The hero glanced around the room carefully, checking how much damage his little fight had caused. He weighed it together and made an estimate: A lot.

He turned to her again. "Anytime. You sure get into trouble often, don't you?" he chuckled.

She blushed, smiling slightly. "Not on purpose..." she giggled quietly. It wasn't long before Giggles appeared, calling to Petunia "Hey, I found them!" and rushing to the two. She gave Flaky a bear hug, causing the porcupine to gasp for air. "Oh, thank God you're okay! I'm sorry for running, but Petunia insisted-"

"Say wha?" the blue skunk chimed in, "You started running BEFORE me!" she countered.

The pink chipmunk ignored her friend, turning to Splendid happily. She hugged him too, but didn't choke him like she did Flaky. The hero was too tough to be choked by a mere hug. "And I bet you're the one that saved her, huh? I'm so proud of you Splendy!" she giggled loudly.

Flaky sighed, realizing that she had no chance of getting the hero's attention now.

Splendid raised an eyebrow at the nickname _Splendy_, but ultimately ignored it. "It's no big deal," he stated calmly, "I'm just peeved that I didn't get any answers."

Giggles shrugged, obviously unsure of what he was talking about. "Well, I'm sure whatever happened is done and dealt with," she chirped.

_Yeah, sure_ Splendid thought sarcastically. He looked away and stood up. "I'm heading home. I have things I need to take care of," he stated before soaring off in a brilliantly blue light.

Giggles waved after him, calling a goodbye. Flaky sighed dreamily, slouching on the bench slightly. The pink chipmunk noticed this, and a smirk spread across her lips. "So, crushing on Splendy, eh?" she giggled.

Flaky's head shot up, and she shook it furiously. "Oh, no! N-not at all," she lied.

Giggles chuckled. "Y'know, if you want my honest opinion, I say go for it," she chimed, "I mean, you've been pretty down since Flippy left. This is just what you need!"

The porcupine sighed again and stood up, walking further into the mall. "Can we not talk about t-that?" she asked, irritated.

Giggles trailed after her quickly. "C'mon, this is perfect for you! You've been single for almost a year now, and you'd be surprised how easy it is to stay happy and forget an ex once you date again!" she advised.

Flaky rolled her eyes, still strolling through the shopping plaza. "Even if that w-were true, he's way outta my league," she mumbled, trying to out walk the chipmunk, but failing epically.

"He's not that hard to hook," she informed casually, "he's just hard headed and stubborn." Before she could go on, she noticed Petunia behind her calling her name. "Oh, I gotta go," she said.

Flaky smiled. _Finally_, she thought. Giggles gave her another hug goodbye, and dashed off to hang with her skunk friend. Once she was out of sight, Flaky sighed again and relaxed against a wall. After getting threatened by the same wolf two times in a row, she was rather exhausted. She felt her eyes grow heavy, but ultimately fought to stay awake. It wasn't long before she caught sight of a nearby newspaper. She raised an eyebrow, and glanced at the cover title. It read:

"Murders On Military Training Grounds Increasing"

**

* * *

**

Oh joy, a cliff hanger.

**And before people ask "Is Flaky forgetting about Flippy?" or something similar, remember that Flippy broke up with her before he left so she could find someone else to keep her happy.**

**And here we see an attraction to 'Splendy' forming :3**

**'Bout time I got a plot up and running :P**


End file.
